What does Helaena’s prophecy at the end of House of the Dragon Season 2 actually mean?

House of the Dragon season 2 has ended, leaving fans with more questions than answers. One of the biggest questions is whether this season was as good as the previous one. Fans are debating on social media about why the season may not have lived up to expectations, despite having record-breaking watch time for HBO. One major reason people cite is the changes made from George R. R. Martin’s book, Fire and Blood.

One topic that always grabs viewers’ attention is Helaena Targaryen’s prophecies and what they predict for the show’s future. Helaena is a fan-favorite character, as she’s one of the few Targaryens among the Greens who doesn’t actively participate in the war. However, she often utters cryptic messages that end up predicting future events. One such prophecy was made by her at the end of the season, leaving fans wondering what it means.

Read More: What Aegon Targaryen’s A Song of Ice and Fire prophecy means

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12/20/2024 05:42 am GMT

Helaena’s past prophecies and new visions

Credit: HBO

In the past, Helaena has predicted Aemond claiming a dragon after losing an eye and Rhaenys appearing on Meleys during Aegon’s coronation. While she didn’t have the power of prophecy in the books, the show seems to depict her as both a dragon dreamer and a greenseer. We saw evidence of this in season 2 when she appeared to talk to Daemon during his weirwood vision at Harrenhal.

Shortly after, she confronted Aemond and made another prophecy. She said Aegon would sit on a wooden throne and that Aemond would be swallowed up by the God’s Eye. The part about Aemond seems clear enough—it likely foreshadows his drowning in the God’s Eye lake during the battle against Daemon. But the meaning of the wooden throne prophecy is much more unclear.

Read More: “One big happy family”: HBO releases behind-the-scenes bloopers from House of the Dragon

Why the wooden throne prophecy is puzzling

Credit: Rise of the Dragon

Many fans think Helaena’s prophecy is straightforward, predicting that Aegon will sit on a wooden chair, as depicted in an illustration in the book Rise of the Dragon. However, this seems unlikely. In the book, the artist depicted the Iron Throne as a towering structure hundreds of feet high. After Aegon was injured in the Fall of Dragonstone, where he fought Baela Targaryen, he couldn’t ascend the many steps to the throne. Because of this, he had to be carried on a wooden litter and sat on a wooden chair at the base of the throne.

However, in the show, the Iron Throne is only a few steps high, so Aegon could easily be carried up those steps to sit on the actual throne. Some think the wooden litter itself is the wooden throne Helaena is referring to, but this seems like a stretch. Additionally, there are suggestions that Sunfyre, Aegon’s dragon, may already be dead in the show, which means his battle with Baela might not happen.

Read More: “It would be a tough pill to swallow”: Phia Saban discusses Helaena’s reaction on learning Alicent’s plan for Aegon

What could the prophecy actually mean?

Credit: HBO

The closest thing to a wooden throne in season 2 is the one made of tree roots and branches that Bloodraven sits on in Daemon’s vision. How this could relate to Aegon is unclear, but since Helaena is connected to greensight, there might be a connection. One thing is certain: her prediction that Aegon will rule again will likely come true, as the Greens did retake King’s Landing from the Blacks later in the book.

Some fans compare the idea of a wooden throne to the wheelchair Bran Stark used after his legs were shattered. Since the show has changed the book’s canon, it’s hard to predict how closely it will follow the book. After Aegon fled King’s Landing when Larys warned him of an attack, he secretly hid in a fishing village on Dragonstone. He may sit on a wooden throne or something similar during this time.

Another theory is that Aegon will go to Driftmark and take the castle High Tide, the seat of House Velaryon. The throne of High Tide is famously known as the Driftwood Throne, which could be the wooden throne Helaena refers to. This would make sense, as it would be dangerous for Aegon to go to Dragonstone while Rhaenyra still holds the castle.

As we know from A Song of Ice and Fire, prophecies can be ambiguous and have multiple meanings. Both Melisandre and Maester Aemon have admitted to misinterpreting the Prince that Was Promised prophecy. How the showrunners choose to interpret Helaena’s prophecy and depict it remains to be seen.

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